


The Ring

by heretherebemonsters



Series: Building by Design [4]
Category: Kuroshitsuji | Black Butler
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Emotional Baggage, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Shy! Sebastian, Unresolved Emotional Tension, Unresolved Issues, protective Claude
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-20
Updated: 2015-04-20
Packaged: 2018-03-24 22:41:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,685
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3787009
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/heretherebemonsters/pseuds/heretherebemonsters
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sebastian gets a phone call and Claude asks a question he's been wanting to ask for a good while now.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Ring

**Author's Note:**

> I own nothing you recognize.

Friday evening drinks with Sebastian became a regular thing and it wasn’t long before Claude found that he couldn’t imagine his life without them. He came to cherish that time with the other man, when they talked for hours at a time and slowly got to know one another a little better with each passing week. After six weeks, Claude had begun to piece together a more complete picture of Sebastian’s life.

He lived alone much as Claude himself did, but it seemed that while Claude didn’t mind his solitude all that much, Sebastian got lonely quite easily. Claude suspected that a large part of that was due to his breakup which, it turned out, was already a full ten months past and counting. It also became obvious that Sebastian was still hurting and Claude found himself wanting to do nothing but comfort him. This was also the reason why he held himself back. Sebastian really wasn’t ready for anything even approaching serious and the last thing Claude wanted to do was scare him away with being too intense.

So Claude tried to be content with keeping Sebastian at arm’s length, at least romantically. But it was hard, especially whenever topics came up that were obviously difficult for him to talk about or Claude caught him mindlessly licking his lips after finishing his drink, driving Claude’s thoughts into dangerous territory. So while Claude genuinely enjoyed the evenings they spent in one another’s company it was also incredibly frustrating.

Claude wasn’t the only one who was frustrated. Sebastian had become as attached to their time together as Claude had; it had become a welcome escape from the stress of work and the loneliness of home. But he was finding it increasingly difficult to be around Claude and not act interested in something more than simple friendship. He found himself desperately wishing that the older man would decide to press his suit once more and ask him out again but Claude was keeping his distance on that front. Sebastian couldn’t really blame him though; he’d made his position pretty clear when he’d said no the first time. And he wasn’t naïve enough to pretend that he was good at hiding his emotions all the time, especially when the obvious care in Claude’s golden eyes made him want to break down and tell him everything. But he knew Claude was smart enough to know by now that he had issues. It was purely for that reason that Sebastian had decided not to ask Claude out himself; he wasn’t going to drag all of that into a relationship. It wouldn’t be fair, especially to a guy as phenomenal as Claude.

All of these things were weighing heavily on Sebastian’s mind as he left work one bright Thursday afternoon. Claude had been all that was on his mind lately and today had been no different. The man’s smooth voice and shining golden eyes had haunted him all day as he’d gone about his work, somewhat mindlessly. He’d caught himself making several beginner’s mistakes as he’d drawn out the first draft of a floor plan for his next build and he’d had to spend over an hour going back and correcting them. This had not done wonders for his mood and there was an irritated quirk to his brow as he left for the day.

He had made it home and was just walking in the front door when his cell phone rang where he’d shoved it in his back pocket. His hands were full with his keys and the mail and his travel mug and Kali was winding herself around his ankles, meowing pitifully. Sebastian swore and nudged the door closed with his hip and hurried to dump his burdens on the small table in the entryway. He managed to grab his phone just before the voicemail kicked in, not bothering to glance at the caller ID.

“Hello?”

“Sebastian?”

He froze in the cool entryway of his townhome, standing in a shaft of dying evening sunlight pooling on the floor. The voice on the line was familiar but one he had hoped to never hear again. His heart skipped a beat, painfully.

After a moment without a response, the voice asked, “Sebastian? Are you there?”

Sebastian blinked and suddenly remembered to breathe. He sucked in a deep breath meant to calm himself but his hands shook anyway. “Yes, Will. I’m here.” He made an effort to keep the shaking out of his voice. “Why are you calling?”

Will cleared his throat. “Well, I needed to ask you something. I’m a bit embarrassed to even bring this up but…”

Sebastian’s eyes were fixed on a single point in the wall straight ahead. “What is it, Will? Just spit it out. You know I’d rather not talk to you.”

“I know, I know,” came the hurried response. “Okay. I want your ring back.”

Again Sebastian found himself unable to reply right away. His mind whirled and yet was totally blank at the same time. Finally he managed, “M-my ring?”

“Yes. I paid for it, you know, and-“

“Why do you want it?” Sebastian demanded suddenly, cutting his ex off mid-sentence. “You said I could keep it.” And Sebastian had kept it, though it was tucked away in the velvet box it’d come in and the box was buried in one of his dresser drawers where he never saw it.

“I know what I said,” Will admitted with a sigh. “But I changed my mind. And the ring is technically mine since I paid for it.”

Sebastian was shaking his head though Will couldn’t see it. “No, it was a gift,” he protested, his voice rising a tiny bit. “You gave it to me as a gift. You can’t just take it back like that.”

“Yes I can,” Will insisted, a defensive tone entering his voice. “Our relationship is over, Sebastian. You really have no right in having it.”

Sebastian made an indignant sound. “No right? You’ve got to be kidding me!”

“Why would you even want to keep it, Sebastian?” Will demanded, suddenly sounding angry.

That brought Sebastian up short. He didn’t really have an honest answer for that, not a good one anyway. There was a reason, after all, as to why the ring was buried out of sight. There was a long pause during which neither of them spoke and Sebastian had to blink back sudden tears that stung his eyes. His temper had disappeared to be replaced by fresh pain. Pain he’d been spending the last ten months trying to forget. “Will, please,” he said finally, quietly, unable to keep the tremor out of his voice. “It’s my engagement ring.”

There was another pause. Sebastian sniffed, reaching up to wipe his eyes hastily as the tears began to flow over, hot and silent. There was a shuffling on Will’s end of the line as he moved about. When his voice finally came again, it was quiet and remorseful.

“Please don’t cry, Sebastian.” Will had always hated it when he teared up, unsure how to handle such displays of raw emotion.

Sebastian managed a shaky laugh. “Don’t cry? You broke my heart, Will. And now you can’t even leave me this one little thing?”

Will sighed heavily. “I’m sorry, Sebastian. I don’t know how many times I have to say it. And I put this off for as long as I possibly could because I figured you’d react like this. But I really do need the ring back.”

Sebastian drew in a deep, steadying breath and wiped his eyes again, this time with the cuff of his dress shirt. “Why? Just tell me that. Please.”

Will hesitated for a moment, then said bluntly, “I’m getting married, Sebastian.”

Sebastian’s eyes widened in surprise. “Oh,” he said lamely, unable to conjure up anything else at that moment.

“Yes. And my fiancée doesn’t want anyone else to have a token of that type from me. Plus I can pawn the ring and use the money toward the wedding.” That really hurt and struck Sebastian as a rude and crass thing to say, even to one’s ex.

“I-I see,” Sebastian stammered. His fingers curled tightly into the damp cuff of his shirt as he tried to hold on to his composure. “You’re getting married.” He couldn’t quite seem to get his head around it. Up until the breakup, he’d always thought he would be the one tying the knot with Will Spears.

“Yes.”

“Is it him?”

“Ronald? Yes.”

Sebastian’s heart twisted painfully and suddenly all he wanted to do was crawl in bed, curl into a ball and sob for days. He felt like he had the night they’d broke up, all over again. Ten months certainly hadn’t dulled the sharp edges of that pain as it came flooding back. But it was also different now, tinged with bitterness at the thought of what he could have had, could be having right now, if he were the one marrying Will. Instead the first man he’d ever truly loved was due to exchange vows with the man he’d cheated on Sebastian with. Sebastian’s brows drew together as his eyes filled with tears once more, blurring his vision. He clapped a palm over his mouth to stifle the sudden sob that escaped him.

“Sebastian-“ Will began but Sebastian cut him off.

“Well, congratulations, Will. I’m sure you’ll be happy together. And you can have the ring back.” The words came out in a rush; Will was right after all. Whatever they’d once had was long gone now. There was little sense in holding on to a ring that would never sit on his finger again.

“Are you sure?” Will asked, sounding surprised. It was unexpected after the previous struggle for Sebastian to have given in so easily. Will knew well how stubborn Sebastian could be. “Do you want some time to think it over?”

Sebastian shook his head again, vehemently. “No. Just take it.” He was on the verge of a total breakdown and had to get off the phone. It wasn’t something he wanted Will or anyone else to witness. “Listen I have to go. Text me a time and place and I can drop it off.”

Will was saying something but Sebastian was already pulling the phone away from his ear. He hit the END button hastily, cutting his ex-boyfriend off mid-sentence. His hands shook as he tossed his phone away, not caring where it landed. He vaguely heard it clatter to the floor somewhere off to his right. He was already sinking to the cool tiles, the tears flowing freely now. Soon enough they had turned to sobs, growing deeper and deeper until they wracked his entire body. He drew his knees up to his chest and wrapped his arms around them, hiding his face between them. Howls of pure grief left Sebastian’s throat as he gave voice to the ache in his heart. He hadn’t broken down like this since the first week of being without Will.

Sebastian let his emotions run their course until the tears ceased and he felt drained. Even then he continued to sit there on the tiled floor with his back against the wall, straightening up as he caught his breath. He kept his knees bent but drew his hands back, letting them fall into his lap. He stared down at them, studying his pale long fingers tipped with fine nails that he’d always taken good care of. His left ring finger looked particularly empty, as if mocking him. His mind swirled with questions he’d not asked himself in months. Why had he not been enough for Will? What had he done to push Will away? What had he done to deserve everything that had happened? Why was true happiness seemingly always just out of his reach?

The answer to all these questions seemed simple enough. He must be lacking in some way. And that meant that no one would ever want him.

The thought made him despair of ever truly gaining Claude’s affections.

A soft mewl beside him drew his attention and Sebastian glanced over to see Kali looking up at him with her big soulful eyes and it was almost as if she were asking if he was alright. Sebastian managed a small smile and reached over to pat her head gently. She started purring instantly and pushed up into his touch, making him chuckle. He sighed as he continued to pet the concerned feline.

“What should I do, Kali? Hmm?” he murmured, his voice hoarse after all the weeping. The cat merely meowed at him and proceeded to bump her head against his thigh.

Sebastian slowly picked himself up off the floor several minutes later. He paused on unsteady legs and scrubbed at his face roughly. He sighed once more and gathered up his things from the table in the entryway, stooping to pick up his poor abused phone from where it had landed on the unforgiving tiles earlier. After sorting his mail and rinsing out his mug at the sink, he wandered to his bedroom to change into something comfortable. He pulled on an old t-shirt and the cozy gray sweats he had once spent an entire week in after leaving Will and drifted back to the kitchen. He thought he should eat something; he hadn’t had anything since eleven that morning but after glancing through a few cupboards and the contents of his fridge, he decided that nothing sounded good. His conversation with Will had thoroughly erased any appetite he’d had earlier.

Feeling somehow both restless and exhausted, he found himself back in his room, the dresser drawer that hid the ring open in front of him. His hand moved seemingly of its own volition as it dug underneath his clothes, searching until he felt the plush velvet of the ring box against his fingertips. Sebastian’s fingers closed around it and he drew it out. He’d not laid eyes upon it in months. Now he studied it as it sat in his palm, so sophisticated and seemingly innocent. He snorted; how was it possible that such a small object could hold such power, to come back and destroy him all over again? Wasn’t once enough?

Sebastian left the dresser drawer hanging open in a very uncharacteristic manner and left the room. His feet took him to the living room and there he dropped onto the couch. He didn’t turn on the TV or open one of the books he had stacked within arm’s reach. He sat there and continued to stare at the black velvet box he held. Finally, he opened it.

There, on a bed of cream colored satin, lay the ring Will had given him. It was as beautiful as he remembered, a simple but elegant band of pale gold etched with a subtle Celtic knotwork design. It had been a special order item and Sebastian knew it had cost a fair amount. He’d loved it; he remembered the way his heart had fluttered when Will had presented it to him. A part of him still loved it, merely because it was beautiful and Sebastian appreciated beautiful things. But the rest of him hated it for what it represented. No longer a symbol of what he had thought would be undying love, it instead brought to mind hurt and betrayal, lies and harsh truths. It was a stark reminder of what he had lost and he found that the more he gazed upon it, the less he could bear the sight of it. Sebastian closed the box abruptly with a snap and set it aside as a fresh wave of tears pricked at his eyes.

Sebastian tried valiantly to hold them back; he was so tired of crying. They leaked out and slid down his pale cheeks anyway. Sebastian ached for some human companionship in that moment. He knew if he continued to sit here alone all evening, he’d just end up going to bed miserable and likely crying himself to sleep. Kali’s company was all well and good but she couldn’t talk and he desperately needed a distraction.

The problem was that the only person he had any interest in seeing right then was Claude. He wondered if he dare ask if the older man wanted to spend some time with him. It wasn’t Friday yet, after all, and Sebastian didn’t really expect Claude to make room for him in his schedule on any other day of the week. Sebastian got up and retrieved his phone from the kitchen counter anyway. Back on the couch, he chewed his lip as he considered what to say. Finally, he opted for a simple text message.

Hey. What are you doing tonight?

Sebastian drew in a deep breath and hit SEND. He turned the TV on, resolutely trying to push his anxiety as he waited for a response to the back of his mind. Part of him wondered if Claude would even bother messaging back but it turned out that he didn’t have to wait long for his phone to ding with a reply.

Not much. Just got out of the shower. In spite of himself, that conjured up an instant image in Sebastian’s mind of Claude wrapped in a towel, half naked and dripping wet. Did you have something in mind?

Sebastian typed out a swift response. Not really but my cat isn’t much of a conversationalist. Would you want to swing by for a bit? He waited with bated breath until the reply came, completely ignoring the TV. When it did, it was more than he could have hoped for.

Sure. I’ll head over as soon as I’m dressed.

++++

Claude was surprised to see the notification light blinking on his phone when he stepped out of the shower. It was well after business hours and he wasn’t expecting any client communications. He was even more surprised when he unlocked the device and saw that he had a text from Sebastian. They messaged on and off throughout the week between their Friday meetups, as often as their schedules allowed. This last week had been a busy one for both of them and Claude hadn’t heard from the other man since Monday night. He knew Sebastian was beginning work on a new project and he himself was finishing up a job in the next town down the highway. Claude had found himself thinking of Sebastian more often than not but work demands hadn’t allowed them much contact. So this message was both a surprise and a delight.

He wasn’t about to turn down Sebastian’s offer to come hang out though he had to wonder at the exact reasons behind it. Perhaps Sebastian was simply lonely, in which case he would be more than happy to keep him company. Claude had every intention of keeping things on the level; it wasn’t in his nature to take advantage of situations like this and he especially didn’t wish to do that to Sebastian, no matter how attractive he was. He respected the man too much.

After the brief text exchange, Claude hurried to get dressed, eager to get over to Sebastian’s place. He threw on clean jeans and a gray t-shirt, the first thing he grabbed in his drawer. A vigorous towel drying and finger combing to his hair later and Claude was on the way out the door. It didn’t take him long to get to his destination. They didn’t live all that far apart after all. Soon enough Claude was pulling into Sebastian’s drive and throwing his truck in park.

He rang the doorbell and waited patiently on the front stoop for a minute until Sebastian answered the door. “Hello, Claude,” he greeted with a small smile, opening the door to admit him as he gently pushed a sleek black-haired cat back behind him with a foot. “No, you can’t go outside, Kali,” he scolded softly. The feline meowed loudly in protest.

“Hey,” Claude greeted in return as he took a good look at Sebastian.

He was shocked when he took in Sebastian’s appearance, his puffy, red eyes, mussed hair and just generally downtrodden expression. His brows were drawn together, the lines between them obvious. Besides that, the usually impeccable man was dressed down in a way Claude had never seen before, in sweats and a t-shirt that looked to be at least a decade old. Claude smothered his surprise as he quickly stepped inside, letting Sebastian close the door so the cat wouldn’t try to slip out. But when he turned to face Claude, Claude couldn’t keep the concerned expression off his face.

“Sebastian, are you alright? You’ve been crying, haven’t you?” Claude was a bit surprised at himself and the wave of protectiveness that he felt at the thought of someone hurting Sebastian enough to make him weep.

Sebastian looked surprised for a moment then chuckled weakly, raising a slightly shaky hand to touch his face. “Is it that obvious?” He sighed and rubbed at his eye. “I must look terrible.”

“No, no,” Claude rushed to reassure him and he found it was the truth. Though Sebastian looked worn out and distressed, Claude still thought he was beautiful. Claude offered the younger man a crooked smile. “The puffy eyes gave it away, is all.”

Sebastian led him toward the kitchen. “Thanks for coming over. I just had a rough day and wanted to see you.” The words were no doubt rather unconscious on Sebastian’s part but they still made Claude’s heart skip a beat. “I hope you don’t mind that it’s not Friday yet.”

Claude smiled. “Not at all. It’s always a pleasure to see you.” He settled with his hip against a counter edge.

Claude was pleased to see that his own words had brought a smile to Sebastian’s lips when he turned to look over his shoulder at his guest. “Thanks. The feeling is mutual. You want anything to drink?”

They made light conversation about Claude’s day and how the end of his build was coming while Sebastian got out two bottles of Guinness from the fridge and popped the tops off. When Claude took his beer, he thanked Sebastian and took advantage of the lull in conversation to ask, “So, you said you had a rough day. Want to talk about it?”

Sebastian didn’t reply right away. Claude watched as he bit his lip and looked away, intently studying the countertop. Claude found himself holding his breath, hoping that the younger man would decide to open up to him. Finally, Sebastian muttered, “I got a call from my ex today.”

Claude’s brows shot up at that. That wasn’t exactly what he’d been expecting to hear. He’d thought that perhaps Sebastian was stressed over projects at work or was dealing with some family drama. “Will?” The man had come up in conversation once or twice and Claude had admittedly painted a very unflattering mental picture of him based on the things he’d been told.

Sebastian nodded. “Yes. I haven’t talked to him in months.”

Claude’s fingers tightened around his beer bottle. He felt his lips settle into a grim line. “What did he want?”

The expression of pure anguish on Sebastian’s fine features when looked up at Claude was absolutely heartbreaking. “I never told you this before when we’ve talked about him but…” There was a pause and it seemed to Claude that Sebastian was steeling himself to say something monumental. Claude waited patiently, knowing by now that it worked far better to let Sebastian come around to things on his own rather than pushing him. Sure enough, the other man continued a few moments later. “We were engaged for six months before we broke up.”

Claude thought that his face had to be reflecting his shock at this admission. “Y-you were engaged?” he stammered, feeling completely bowled over by this news.

“Yep.” Sebastian gave a tiny, sad smile. “I was so happy. But it turned out that for four of those six months he’d been seeing Ronald on the side.” Ronald was also a familiar name to Claude, having heard it several times in the course of listening to Sebastian tell his tale over drinks at the bar. He recalled that Ronald had been a fellow classmate of Sebastian and Will’s at university and had been just as complicit as Will in keeping Sebastian in the dark about what had really been going on.

“Oh my god,” Claude murmured. “I’m so sorry, Sebastian.” He felt like he should say more but he wasn’t sure what exactly. He was still having trouble wrapping his mind around the idea that Sebastian had been engaged once, ready to commit himself to someone who had not appreciated him the way he deserved to be. Claude already knew that if Sebastian were wearing his ring, he’d do everything he could to make sure his beloved knew every day how much he meant to him.

Sebastian shrugged. “It’s past now.” He tried to sound nonchalant, but the obvious evidence of the fact that he’d been crying directly contradicted his words.

Claude took a long swallow of his beer in an effort to remain calm. The thought of anyone hurting Sebastian made him unexpectedly angry. After putting his bottle down again, he asked again, “So what did he want?”

“He called to tell me he wants my ring back. I kept it after…all that,” Sebastian said flatly. “And then he told me he’s getting married.” Here Sebastian’s brow creased and Claude saw the sudden but unmistakable sheen of tears come into his gorgeous ruby eyes. “He’s marrying Ronald.” A sound somewhere between a stuttering intake of breath and a broken sob left him and he clapped his hand over his mouth, quickly turning his back as he tried to compose himself. “I’m sorry,” he apologized hastily in a shaky voice.

Claude had his second shock of the night at hearing all of this. He couldn’t believe anyone would be so crass as to take back something like an engagement ring, especially since it had been given freely as a gift and a meaningful object. It would have been one thing if Sebastian had given it back to Will but he hadn’t. On top of that the news of the impending marriage would have been enough to crack anyone’s façade.

When Sebastian apologized Claude found himself leaving his spot at the counter and unthinkingly drawing him into his arms. “Don’t be sorry,” he murmured. “You’ve had a rough day, just like you said.”

Sebastian managed a tiny chuckle and gratefully slid his arms around Claude, hanging on tightly. He heaved a sigh and unconsciously burrowed into Claude’s strong chest. “Thanks.”

They stood there in a comfortable silence for a minute while Claude let Sebastian pull himself together. He took the time to simply enjoy having the other man in such close physical contact, taking note of the way Sebastian felt against him, the way he fit along his own body. Holding Sebastian was comfortable and felt like the most natural thing in the world. He found that he didn’t want to ever let him go. But he did, albeit reluctantly, when he felt Sebastian stir and move away ever so slightly.

“What did you decide?” Claude asked softly. “About the ring?”

Sebastian sighed again and ran his fingers through his hair. “I said I’d give it to him. I guess there’s no good reason to keep it. It’s not like I’ll ever wear it again.”

This admission puzzled Claude. “Then why did you keep it in the first place?”

Sebastian looked a bit sheepish. “It’s a really beautiful piece of jewelry,” he replied with a helpless shrug. “And it was a custom order just for me.”

“Oh,” Claude said intelligently as he processed this. Now he was even more appalled that Will had demanded the ring back. What an asshole.

“Anyway,” Sebastian continued, obviously ready to move on to another topic. “I didn’t invite you over to talk about my ex and I’m sure that’s the last thing you want to do.”

Claude shook his head. “No, it’s fine. Don’t worry about it.”

Sebastian offered Claude a small smile and this time it reached his eyes. “Thanks. I appreciate it.” He blushed a bit and Claude was suddenly inordinately happy to see the other man’s change in mood.

They both took their beers and migrated to the living room where they mutually decided to relax and watch a movie. Sebastian began flipping through his rack of DVDs, reading off several titles. Claude seated himself on the couch with his beer. As he did so, something rolled across the cushion and came to rest against his thigh. He glanced over and saw a tiny black velvet box which no doubt held Sebastian’s ring. He plucked it up gingerly and let it sit in his palm for a moment, studying it. He was admittedly curious to see the ring after Sebastian had talked it up but he wasn’t about to take a peek without permission. Before he could say anything or set it aside, Sebastian pulled out a DVD from the rack and straightened up, turning around. He paused when he saw the box in Claude’s palm.

“I’m sorry,” Claude said hastily, leaning over to put the box on the end table. “I nearly sat on it.”

“No, no,” Sebastian hurried to say. “It was my fault. I left it just lying there.” There was a slight hesitation and then he continued, “If you want to look at it, go ahead.”

“Are you sure?” Claude froze halfway to the end table.

Sebastian nodded. “Yeah. It’s fine. I’m sure you’re curious.”

Claude drew his hand back, smiling a little. “Actually I am.”

Sebastian chuckled. “I thought so.”

Claude took one last look at Sebastian before opening the box with a reverent air, revealing the pale gold band on its bed of smooth satin. His eyes widened a bit in appreciation, taking in the intricate knotwork design circling the ring. “Wow,” Claude murmured. “It really is beautiful, just like you said.”

Sebastian moved over to the couch and sat down beside Claude, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees, the DVD dangling from his long fingers. His smile had turned sorrowful again. “Yeah. I’ll miss it but someone else may as well enjoy it. I never want to look at it, after all. It just reminds me of Will.” The quaver in his voice was impossible to miss and Claude glanced over to see a sheen of moisture once more present in those gorgeous crimson eyes.

Claude sighed and snapped the ring box shut, setting it aside quickly. He had the urge to suddenly do something impulsive. “Alright, I can’t take this anymore.”

Sebastian sat up straight suddenly, his cheeks flooding with color. He raised a hand to swipe at his eyes, which had begun to leak once again. “I’m sorry,” he said, refusing to look at Claude in a fit of embarrassment.

“No, no, it’s not that,” Claude hurried to assure him. “You wear your heart on your sleeve and there’s nothing wrong with that, Sebastian. It’s one of the things that I like about you.”

Sebastian glanced over at him, blinking his tears back. “Really?”

Claude nodded vigorously. “Yes. And what I really mean is that I can’t stand this whole situation with Will. It makes me angry.”

“I-It does?” Sebastian stammered.

“Why wouldn’t it?” Claude sounded outraged. “He hurt you and that makes me mad. I can’t believe that anyone would be able to treat you like he did. You’re so great, Sebastian. I would never in a million years be able to do things like that to you.”

Sebastian’s eyes were wide. “What are you saying, Claude?”

Claude drew in a deep breath and steeled himself to ask the one question he’d been dying to ask ever since he’d been rejected the first time, knowing he could very well face the same outcome again. “I’m saying that I want the chance to treat you well, like you deserve. Let me take you out, Sebastian. Please.”

There was a surprised silence as Sebastian and Claude looked at each other. Claude had meant every word that he’d said with every fiber of his being and he could only hope that Sebastian had picked up on that and believed him. As the moments passed, the changing expression on the younger man’s face seemed to indicate that he had. His handsome features morphed from a mix of grief and shock to reflect nothing but a sudden and blinding happiness. His smile was wide, displaying his perfect white teeth.

“Yes! I would love that.” His voice was full of enthusiasm. “I’ve honestly been waiting for you to ask again all these weeks.” He flushed and glanced away briefly in embarrassment. “It’s been hard for me to be casual with you when I find you so ridiculously attractive.”

Claude couldn’t help but laugh. “Ah, but I’ve had the same problem,” he admitted a tad sheepishly. “I would have asked you sooner but I didn’t want to push the issue. You were so adamant in saying no the first time.”

Now Sebastian chuckled but quickly grew serious. “There was a reason for that. I have issues, Claude, as I’m sure you’ve noticed. I didn’t want to drag that into a relationship. It wouldn’t be fair to you.”

Claude shrugged. “I know you have things you’re still working out. Who doesn’t? I’m willing to be patient, Sebastian. I’ll give you space when you need it and a shoulder to cry on when you need that. We’ll work it out a bit at a time, okay?”

Sebastian nodded, his eyes wide and shining and full of what Claude could only call hopeful innocence. It was right at that moment that he vowed he would never allow anyone to hurt Sebastian again. He would see to it that they regretted trying. He would rain Hell down upon them, all to safeguard Sebastian’s precious heart.


End file.
